


Crystals

by VermeilH20



Series: Zutara Week 2018 [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Crystals, F/M, Zutara, Zutara Week 2018, smugglers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 18:54:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15540765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VermeilH20/pseuds/VermeilH20
Summary: Zuko and Katara get trapped in a cave (again) and come face-to-face with a gang of smugglers.(I really wanted to write a fight scene, okay?)





	Crystals

“What could go wrong with spelunking, they said. We have an earthbending master and the Avatar, they said. Pfffft.” Sokka threw his hands in the air, scowling at the wall of rocks in front of him. “Well, when the earthbender somehow falls sick and the Avatar gets called away on important Avatar business AT THE LAST MINUTE, who gets stuck in a cave? WE DO.” He attempted to punch the boulder next to him and thought better of it.

“Now my sister and the freaking Fire Lord are trapped in a cave and somebody tell me how I am going to explain this?”

“Calm down.” Suki patted his arm. “The two of them are resourceful. They’ll be fine. I’m more worried about Mai and Ty Lee. They don’t have bending.”

“Tui and La, neither do we! That’s it. We’re going to die here, in the cold and dark, with no food or water, and some unfortunate traveler is going to find our skeletons a hundred years from now. I’ll never get to be chief and you will never get to be chiefess and we will never have little chief-babies.”

“We just have to wait. I’m sure the benders will get to us soon. They’re not going to leave two nobles and a bunch of visiting dignitaries trapped in an underground cavern, you know.”

***

This had been a bad idea. A poorly conceived, ill thought-out, bad idea.

“I can’t believe we are somehow trapped in an underground cavern, again.” Katara huffed.

“I can’t believe we let Toph talk us into going spelunking in a cave network no one has set foot in before.” Zuko shook his head, a flame burning in the palm of his hand. “We should have gone into one of the ones that actually have maps.”

They stood in front of a towering pile of boulders that was blocking their exit. “Can you blast it with fire?”

“I could, but we might get accidentally roasted in the process. Can you blast it with water or ice?”

“I could only target the rocks a few at a time, and if I knocked any of the wrong ones, I could trigger a further cascade.”

“So we’re stuck.”

“At least until the earthbenders gets here.”

“This was not how I planned on spending a relaxing afternoon. The summit this morning was stressful enough.”

The two of them, along with Aang, Sokka and Mai had been discussing trade agreements and foreign policy with some of the other visiting dignitaries all morning. She was particularly proud of how she had managed to convince Aang and the rest of the New Republic planners to include cultural sites for each of the four realms. Along with a library, of course. Sokka and she had also succeeded in getting an Earth Kingdom shipping magnate to open a line with the Water Tribes. It was going to be highly lucrative, and likely improve relations between both states.

There was also talk of balloons becoming a viable form of long-distance travel, even replacing caravans and ships. No one quite knew how that would impact the state of things, although there was some speculation.

So despite what Iroh said, there was plenty of work to be done during the festival as well. They had all been busy. As a result, the lovers hadn’t had any times to themselves today. Not that Katara needed to see him every waking moment. She still wasn’t sure what she was going to do after this week was over. She had initially planned on spending the week at the palace, then travelling further into the Fire Nation for research and healing trainings. Waterbenders were settling outside of the poles, now, and it was one of her better ideas to train any promising healers so they could assist their communities. Then, it was her hope, they could pass on that knowledge to future generations.

There were only three days remaining, and she was determined to make the most of them. Right now, that meant figuring out something to take the edge off the day they had had. She loved diplomacy, but it could get stressful after a while. Especially when certain old windbags, to borrow Mai’s words, kept talking over her and interrupting every point she made.

So they had agreed when Toph and Aang suggested they go spelunking. Of course, Toph then had to get laid down with food poisoning. 

“There is no one else in this alley for a reason!” Katara, Suki and Aang had tried to dissuade her from sampling the shady looking fried turtle duck.

“Well, sometimes you have to take the path less taken! Besides, this iron stomach has seen me through everything!” She had then defiantly bit into the meat.

Then Aang had to leave because of a conflict brewing at the border. “It’s been a decade. You would think they have learned to get along.”

Sokka and Ty Lee were adamant about continuing with the trip, thought Katara, Mai, Suki and Zuko had their doubts. Mai had tried to bail at the last minute, too, citing a stomachache.

“But you didn’t eat the turtle duck.” Ty Lee had pointed out.

“Must have been something else, then.”

“It’s probably just nerves. I remember when you got a stomachache from that roadside place Azula made us stop for lunch. You looked a lot greener and you were making puking noises the whole day. You’re not doing that now.” She had grabbed Mai. “You don’t have to be nervous! It’s totally safe!”

Zuko and Katara had been tempted to bail, too, but reasoned that the others needed at least two benders with them.

Much good that had done.

Katara let out a small squeak when something fell into her hair. “Ew, there are bugs all over the ceiling.” She shook it out, cringing when it hit the ground with a dull squishing noise.

Zuko flicked one off his shoulder. “You want to try getting out of here?” The flame in his palm flared brighter. “I think the fire is unsettling them, and I would rather not sit in the dark in a bug-infested cave.”

“Let’s go.” 

Hand in hand, they went further into the tunnels.

***  
Katara’s eyes widened as they turned a corner. The entire cavern was filled with crystal, the shimmering purple formations sprouting from the floor and ceiling. They looked like they were made of violet fire. 

“I didn’t even know these were here!” Zuko breathed.

“They are beautiful.” She went and stood in front of him. “Feel familiar?”

“What? Oh.” He cringed, visibly shaken by the memory. “I have apologized and I will do it again. I…”

“Stop it. I just meant, that was the first time we had a real conversation. Ever. That was the first time I saw there was something else in you.” She took a deep breath. “Which is why I was so mad when you stood with Azula.” Katara took his hands in hers. “But then, you stood right there with us as we changed the world.” She looked him the eyes. “With me. I know you are still hurting a lot, that nothing is ever going to take the pain away, not entirely, but you have to know you are not the same angry, confused kid you were back then.” She exhaled.

Katara tentatively pressed her fingers against Zuko’s scar. “One thing I learned while traveling is that we can never really run away from our pasts. No matter what we do.”  
Zuko nodded. He had learned that lesson years ago, but he had a feeling she wasn’t just talking about him. “But that is not a bad thing. We are who we are, where we are because of them.” He smiled at her. “You can’t run away from your past, but you don’t have to carry it with you always.” He covered her hand with his and held it against his face.

“I don’t remember if I told you this, but I changed my mind about the scar. It is not a symbol of my father’s anger but of my own compassion. Which I lost for a few years. It does make me who I am, but that is someone who was able to break away from the shadow of a century-old empire to do the right thing. It gave me the chance to think for myself.” He brought their hands down, resting them over Katara’s heart.

“You’re scars are in here. Just because they aren’t visible doesn’t mean they haven’t affected you. You’ve spent your whole life thinking about others, trying to help them. Even when you were confused and angry, when you were face to face with the man who killed your mother, you offered him mercy. You know what pain feels like and you don’t want to inflict it on other people.” He sighed. “Azula was trying to kill you, you know. She knew it would destroy me more effectively than any fire blast. You would have been well within your rights to end her. Yet you didn’t. No matter what any of those crazy fangirls say, you are one of the best people I know.”

“You heard what happened today morning?” Katara was surprised. One of the Earth Kingdom’s diplomats had made some less than subtle comments about “good judgement” and “loyalty”.

“We were in the same room.” He looked at her, his eyes soft. “That is probably the longest unscripted speech I have ever given in my life. Looks like you’re rubbing off on me.”

She was feeling better. “Thank you.” She slid her hand out to cup his face. He smiled against her lips when she stood on her toes to kiss him. The flame in Zuko’s hand dimmed as he reached out his arms to hold her close. Even in the near-dark, the crystals still glittered around them.

“You know, I kind of wanted to do that the last time we were in the catacombs.” He admitted.

“No! I screamed at you so much!” She started laughing in shocked delight.

“When you thought I was a horrible, hateful person, yeah. The instant I showed some sympathy, you were immediately fussing over me, offering to heal me with sacred water! Admit it, you see the best in people.”

“Only because I bring out the best in people. You told me you’d lost your mother to the fire nation, too. How could I be mad after that? I mean, it explained a lot.” She grinned when he snorted.

“Yeah. I’ll bet.”

“Come on, let’s go see if we can find a way out. Unless you want to spend some more time in here?” She teased.

He looked like he was considering it. “I think we can spare a few minutes.”

***

When Katara came to, she was lying sideways on the ground. She tried to get up, struggling against the rope. The smugglers must have left her tied up. She hissed in frustration.

The smugglers. It came back to her in a flash. She and Zuko had been walking through the tunnels, when they had run into three other men. She had glimpsed a cart filled with cloth-covered bundles before the men had opened little pods at their wrists, releasing a sweet-smelling gas in the lovers’ direction. The last thing Katara remembered was her vision going fuzzy, and the feeling of her wrists being bound.

They had left her fingers free, though. If she could just…

A muffled came from behind her. Wriggling, she could just make out Zuko lying a few feet from her, his mouth gagged. She rolled over, using her fingers to yank on the cloth.

“Are you okay?” He asked the instant she had pulled out the gag. 

“I’m fine. I don’t think they realized who we are, though.”

“Yeah. I’m surprised, really, I should think my face was a pretty obvious identifier.” He grinned weakly.

“It is really dark down here. I doubt they could make it out. That single torch is barely giving off any light, even with all these crystals reflecting it.”

Zuko inhaled sharply when something cold brushed against his hands. Katara had cut through her ropes using a blade she had made from ice, and was now doing the same for him. Once she had removed all his bindings, she held out a hand and pulled him to his feet. He brushed himself off and lit a small flame in his hand, frowning at the cluster of crystals closest to them. “I think this is what they have been smuggling. Look at these clean marks. They were obviously made with a gemcutter. Scratches would reduce their value.”

“Hey, how did you escape? Guys…” A loud shout alerted them to the smugglers’ return. This time, Katara was ready when they opened the pods. She concentrated, bringing all the moisture in the cave together in front of them. It created a wall of ice from floor to ceiling, sealing the smugglers in with their own knockout gas. When their attackers had all collapsed, she melted the wall and drew the water back to her. Long whips swirled over her head.

The flame in Zuko’s hands flared up, his eyes burning.

They stood back to back. “I’m getting serious déjà vu.” Katara grinned as more men came running, alerted by the noise. She sent her whips shooting, knocking three of them to the heavily ground before they could retaliate

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” He gave a low laugh, redirecting a fireball back to the thrower. The firebending smuggler yelped as it hit him in the chest, slamming into the wall. “It’s nice to be on the same side, though.”

“Agreed. Looks like we’re facing off against three, I mean two, firebenders and two nonbenders.” When another one launched a fireball at her, she sent a sphere of water his way. They met midair, exploding into steam. One of the nonbenders tripped over his friend’s passed-out body as he tried to dodge the hot air, falling flat on his face. He groaned and did not get up. “One nonbender to go.” She sent out another whip, cracking it against the last one’s legs. “That should take care of him.”

Zuko grunted in acknowledgement as both remaining firebenders kept spraying him with bursts of fire. He focused on dissipating the flames, preventing them from reaching Katara while she focused on disabling the nonbenders. He did manage to get in a couple of good shots himself, as evinced by the first attacker still collapsed against the wall.

Now that she was done, he turned his attention to the offensive, stunning both of the smugglers with two carefully timed blasts to their plexuses. They jerked backward, then doubled over. Katara sent two of her whips to lift them off the ground, then tossed them into two others who were trying to get back on their feet. She turned to give a cheer when Zuko swept her up, eyes still burning as he pressed an exultant kiss to her lips. Katara kissed him back, throwing her arms around his neck as he picked her up. They spun around before he set her back down.

“Sorry. I haven’t been in a real battle in so long, I guess my emotions got the better of me.” He looked a little sheepish after they had come apart.

“No apologies needed. We should make out after every sparring session.” She told him, slightly breathless. Whether it was from the fight or the kiss, she wasn’t sure.

“Agreed.” He looked a bit out of breath himself.

Binding all of their hands and feet with the remaining rope and a bit of waterbending, Zuko and Katara had just finished piling the smugglers into the cart when a loud rumbling sounded from the far tunnel.

A unit of earthbenders was standing there, a grinning Toph at their head. She scowled when she saw the prisoners. “I can’t believe I missed a chance to beat up bad guys! You two have all the fun.”

“Your concern is touching.” Zuko said drily. He turned to the earthbending unit. “Can you secure these smugglers further? We’ll take them back with us and arrange for them to be transported to prison.”

***

Katara sighed, curling into the warm shawls around her. As a waterbender, her blood tended to run a bit cooler. After spending hours trapped in the dank caves, though, she was not averse to a little warmth. 

After dealing with the prisoners, the lot of them had staggered into the palace covered in dirt and sweat, everyone looking worse for the wear. Iroh, Pakku and Kanna had taken one look and insisted they all immediately clean up and be settled with a cup of tea and blankets.

“We really shouldn’t let you two go anywhere alone.” Katara and Zuko froze at Sokka’s remark. “Seriously, have you noticed that every time you go off by yourselves, you end up in life-threatening situations?” He shook his head, sipping from the teacup for emphasis. “You kids are going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

“I’m the same age as you.”

“Emotionally, Zuko, I am much older than you. As evinced by the fact that I am married and you are not.”

“I have a country. I think that requires a similar amount of effort to maintain peacefully.” The Fire Lord’s lips curved a little as his friends tried to hide their amusement.

“So, what are you planning to do about the caves?” Suki asked, patting her husband’s leg.

“I’m thinking about stabilizing the tunnels a bit and having it made into a protected site people can visit. It’ll boost public moral and the speleology people will be ecstatic at the idea.”

“That is lovely. What are you going to call it?”

They were interrupted by Aang coming through the doors. “Hey! What did I…” He stopped short when he noticed everyone collapsed onto couches, looking like they had just come back from the dead. “Looks like I missed a lot.”


End file.
